This invention relates in general to electrical connectors and methods for terminating electrical conductors and deals more particularly with improved electrical connector elements and methods for effecting high density termination of solid electrical conductors.
Technological advances in the fields of electronics and telecommunications have created need for improved miniaturized connector assemblies and methods for effecting high density termination of electrical conductors. Such miniaturized connector assemblies as have been heretofore available usually include electrical contacts having connecting portions which engage associated peripheral surface portions of the conductors to which they are attached. One type of contact, adapted to be crimped into electrical engagement with a bare end portion of an associated conductor, includes a connecting portion which at least partially surrounds the bare end portion of the conductor. Another type of contact of an insulation displacement type, commonly used in such miniaturized connectors, includes two or more opposing tines which straddle an insulated electrical conductor, displace the insulation on the conductor, and engage or incise generally laterally opposite portions of the peripheral surface of the conductor. Still another contact of the insulation displacement type has a single wedge-shaped tine for forcing an insulated conductor against an abutment surface of an associated connector element and incising the insulation on the conductor to establish electrical contact with the conductor. The connecting portion of such contacts usually have lateral dimensions substantially greater than the lateral dimensions of the associated solid conductors to which they are connected. Such contacts, when mounted within a connector element housing are necessarily insulated from each other and may be separated by associated portions of the connector housing. The connecting portions of the contacts, which comprise the widest portions of each contact-conductor assembly, impose limitations on the size of a connector element which may be used to terminate conductors of a given gauge.
It is the general aim of the present invention to provide improved electrical connector elements and methods for terminating solid electrical conductors which overcome, or at least substantially reduce, the aforesaid problems.